Kevin Durant Comparing LeBron James’ 76ers Move to Him Joining Warriors Draws Stephen A. Smith’s Flak

Kevin Durant has received a lot of criticism over his decision to join the 73-9 Golden State Warriors back in 2016.

Kevin Durant Comparing LeBron James’ 76ers Move to Him Joining Warriors Draws Stephen A. Smith’s Flak

Stephen A. Smith and Kevin Durant (Image via FirstSportz)

Ever since LeBron James joined the Philadelphia 76ers, there has been no dearth of people talking about how this was another superteam. So much so that even Kevin Durant had something to say about it.

The Slim Reaper is no ‘hater’ and has usually defended his Paris Olympics teammate and longtime rival against fans and even those in the media. He has reiterated how joining a strong team has no negative impact on one’s legacy.

He has been facing the same criticisms over the past decade, as his move to the Golden State Warriors was termed as something unthinkable in today’s sports culture.

Durant claimed that James joining the 76ers is similar to what he did back in 2016. However, Stephen A. Smith, appearing on First Take for the first time since his summer vacation, took the opportunity to state some facts.

We all knew it was a foregone conclusion that Kevin Durant, with the greatest shooting backcourt, with a basketball savant that was Draymond Green, it was inevitable. The fairness, the competition, it was just eviscerated. Nobody had a chance… They were clear-cut favorites by a mile to win the championship. We don’t even know if the 76ers are going to come out of the East.

Stephen A. Smith said

The 58-year-old made it clear that Durant joined the best team in the league and made it better. That is different from the 76ers’ situation, even though James’ arrival makes them significantly better.

Smith is not even sure if the team is going to be able to hold a candle against the best teams in the Eastern Conference, let alone the rest of the league.

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NBA veteran counters Kevin Durant’s LeBron James-76ers’ take with a simple fact

While Stephen A. Smith made it clear that the differences between the 2016 Golden State Warriors and the current Philadelphia 76ers are far too great for there to ever be a comparison, former NBA star Eddie A. Johnson used a simple fact to counter Kevin Durant‘s claim.

Kevin Durant and LeBron James
Durant and James (Image via Lakeshow NBA/X)

Not true. Bron is 41 going on 42. KD was 27 and joined the best team in the NBA. Not the same.

Eddie A Johnson wrote on X

The 17-year veteran used age as the biggest non-factor in this comparison. When the Durantula left the Oklahoma City Thunder, he was in his prime. Moreover, he joined the Warriors, who were a game away from repeating as champions.

James is very close to leaving the game for good and is nowhere near his peak powers. Moreover, the 76ers are not the best team in the league by any imagination. Therefore, this comparison is no good.

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Devin Booker lists Kevin Durant and LeBron James in his All-Time Top 5

While this comparison is going to find more pushback than expected, there is no doubt that Kevin Durant and LeBron James switching teams has become the most dominant conversation of the past decade and a half.

That is because the two have consistently been some of the best players in the league by a huge margin. That is what led Devin Booker to list them in his Top 5 All-Time list.

Kobe, LeBron, KD, Steph, and Shaq.

Devin Booker replied to a fan

Surprisingly, he left out Michael Jordan, who many believe is the greatest player of all time. But the Phoenix Suns star is a die-hard Kobe Bryant fan, which saw His Airness lose that shooting guard spot.

But he made sure to name Durant, with whom he played together for nearly two seasons, and the league’s all-time leading scorer on his Top 5 speaks volumes on how current players look at the league’s best differently.

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